Why We Moved to East Portland

We used to live in Southwest Portland. Southwest is known for its hills, peaceful neighborhoods, and low crime rates. We now live in East Portland. The east side is known for its lack of sidewalks, cheaper housing, and higher crime rates. 

So, why did we choose to live in East Portland?

Many people we know seem to be a bit confused as to why we moved to a neighborhood that would definitely not be considered "family-friendly," especially when we are expecting our third child to be born anytime now. In fact, we really want to live here. There are a number of reasons why: God has called us to be here, we were priced out of our old apartment, and we have community here. 

First and foremost, God has made it clear to us that He wants us here. We are members of a great church in Portland, Imago Dei Community. We have loved what God is doing through this group ever since we have lived in the city. The church is located in inner Southeast Portland, within walking distance of the river. Imago decided to form an Eastside campus at about the same time we were thinking about moving out of our 2-bedroom apartment in Southwest. Jen and I both felt like the Holy Spirit was telling us that we were being called back to the east side. We used to live at Burnside and 143rd before we had kids and before my teaching jobs moved our family around to different locations in the state. God was apparently providing a path for us to return.

East Portland has been often regarded as "neglected" by city officials and is arguably one of the most needy areas of Multnomah County. As the diagram to the right shows, crime is relatively high in this area, and we moved smack dab into one of those red spots, which indicates that residential robberies is "well above average." The funny thing about this not seeming like a "family-friendly" area is that many young families actually live in East Portland. 28% of the city's total population lives here, but it is home to 37% of the city's school-age children (source). We have an opportunity to make a difference here. God is at work on the east side, and we want to be a part of it. James wrote that faith without works is dead. We believe that God love the people in this part of the city just as much as any other area. If there is a need for help, then my question is... why aren't more Christians coming to live here? We want to act in response to our faith, so to us, this is a no-brainer.

"East PDX is Getting Poorer and Angrier"

Secondly, we live in East Portland because we were priced out of Southwest. Our rent kept increasing more and more each year in the 2-bedroom apartment we lived in previously. Living in Multnomah Village was an ideal location because I was able to walk to work, it was equidistant between my parents and our friends, and we were a stone's throw from an I-5 on-ramp. However, with our third child due to be born this summer, we knew two bedrooms would be too cramped. We couldn't find any affordable 3-bedroom apartments in Southwest, so we knew we had to look elsewhere. East Portland is known for its cheaper housing, and since we already knew the area, it seemed natural to look there. The unfortunate reality that many struggling families find themselves in is that if they have to move to a particular area, then other costs increase. For example, now that we live on the east side, I have to commute to work. We needed to get another car and pay for the gas and insurance that goes with it (I would love to take TriMet, but three hours round trip each day would be suicide for Riedl family morale).

To be completely honest, we actually feel like we fit in here, financially speaking. Our neighbors on the east side drive crappy cars, are on food stamps, and have a hard time making ends meet. We are in the same boat. Like many low-income families, we are struggling to keep our heads above water. We feel like we can identify with a lot of the difficulties people face in our neighborhood. In Southwest Portland, we felt like outsiders.

The third reason we really want to be in East Portland is that we have community here. Living in the Glenfair Neighborhood before we had kids, we helped start the Glenfair Community Garden, which was a great way to meet our neighbors and help those who can benefit from fresh produce. We got to know people in the area from church, grew to be friends, and now hope to do more of the same, especially now that Imago has an Eastside campus. We now live in the Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood, just off 122nd and Division. Driving down Division in this area certainly isn't as welcoming as driving down Capitol Hwy in Multnomah Village. They are polar opposites.

East Portland is also known for being more culturally diverse. According to the image to the right, the black, Asian, and Hispanic populations have been increasing while the white population is decreasing. Imago Eastside seeks to also be intentionally diverse--not just another white church in a diverse neighborhood--rather, a body representing the area it is located. There are already more races and ethnicities represented than the typical Portland church, which is something I am proud to say I'm a part of. With all the racial issues surrounding our country at a time like this with Ferguson, Baltimore, and Charleston, we want to be a part of what is going on. We don't want to just look from afar and spit out our opinion from time to time, thinking that words are enough to make a difference. No. It takes more than just words. It takes action.

Since action is what makes a difference rather than just talking about it, that is where I begin to wrap this up. We know that we want to be where the problems are so we can help make a difference. However, we are not done by just moving here. This is only the beginning. We need to step outside of our apartment and meet people. We need to remember their names and get to know them. Our goal in life is to love God and love our neighbors. We need to find a place or a way to volunteer regularly. There are other churches and non-profits who are already here following God's call to help their neighbors and we need to find them and work together. There is so much pain in this world and it's so much more apparent here than it is in Southwest. Christ has led us into a place that is uncomfortable, and that's a good thing.

Moving to Imago Dei's Eastside Campus

We had another gathering tonight for Imago Dei Community's Eastside Campus, which is launching slowly but surely. Pastor Eric Knox is leading us to the Hazelwood Neighborhood in East Portland. We are currently meeting monthly in a lecture hall in David Douglas High School.

God definitely made it clear to Jen and I that we are supposed to move back to East Portland after moving away to go to Ontario, Oregon and then to where we are now in SW Portland in order to find a solid teaching job for me. Now, since I have a secure job teaching at a private school in SW, we have the freedom to move anywhere we want (in other words, SW Portland is too expensive and we need to move somewhere cheaper and with more room for when our new baby is born, and besides, we miss the comforting Friday night sirens in East Portland too much). Lol

In all honesty, we really have a heart for East Portland and all the crap going on over there between it and Gresham. Before Nolan and Delaney existed, we were really enjoying starting the Glenfair Community Garden, which we helped our friends from Glenfair Church build from scratch. It was such an awesome way to get to know our neighbors and build community. We hope to do more of that in the future when we move back, including getting more involved with East Portland Neighborhood Office (EPNO) and whatever neighborhood association corresponds to wherever we end up living.

The leadership team for Imago Dei Eastside has a great heart for really wanting to help those who are already living their lives in East Portland without trying to change them into something they aren't. We want to build relationships and help them discover their assets and use those to their advantage in order to allow them to be successful with their immediate needs, and through that they will receive Jesus' love through us. We are partnering with SecondStories.org to learn more about how to build relationships and being WITH them rather than just doing things for them.

As for Sunday services, it is really up in the air right now. We need people to step up and volunteer in order to get a weekly service going. I will be leading the production of audio/video, slides, etc. while Jen will be working with the nursery and preschool kiddos. It is very strange to be in a small church type setting again, even smaller than when we were at Origins in Ontario. We definitely know this is where we want to be, since we want God to stretch us and use us to glorify His name in one of the most diverse, low-income, and neglected areas in the Portland area. God is already doing awesome things. We are just joining in!

Oh yeah... and we also still need to actually move there. Our lease ends in a few months, so, if anyone hears of any inexpensive 3-bedroom  houses or apartments for rent, we're hoping to find a place before our baby pops out in July! Hopefully by the end of June we'll be settling into a new place! Crazy changes ahead!! We are looking forward to where God is leading us. We are up for anything, good or bad... as long as we are loving God and loving others, we know we are on the right path!

Thinking Differently: Faith in Action

My family volunteering at Neighborhood House

When I was younger, I thought that being a "good example" was enough of a witness to the message of Jesus. My plan was that the people around me would see that I lived a good life and ask me what motivates me. It would be then that I would be able to share my faith with them because they were open to hearing it. It seemed like such a great plan to me because I wouldn't have to bug them about my beliefs, and it would be perfect timing for them when they were ready to hear it.

That way of thinking was ridiculous. I didn't really understand that I sinned just as much as any other person in the world, so my idea of being a "good example" was flawed. This was just selfish because I didn't want to actually do anything with my faith.

Now, as a married man with kids, I am reading more of the Bible and learning more about this faith that I believe in. I am realizing that being a Christian is not just about what I believe, but how I live out my faith.

James says, "What good is it if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?" He goes on to say that someone who wishes someone well without caring for their physical needs is pointless. Jesus consistently cared for those who were hurting and in pain.

What have I been doing with my faith? It's not about just believing and working on my own life. God has called us to not only love Him, but also love others.

If I want to be more like Jesus, I should be caring for those who are hurting. What could I do? It seems overwhelming to know where to start since there is so much crap in this world. Getting out of my comfort zone is the first step. God gives me the confidence to think about others more than myself, get off my ass, and go help people in need. It's a witness of Christ's love when He is working in me to do something my flesh doesn't naturally want to do.

Jen and I recently took Nolan and Delaney to Neighborhood House to help volunteer. It is a non-profit organization that helps low-income people in the community. Their goal is to help vulnerable people overcome challenges to achieve success, stability, and independence. About once per month they have a family volunteer night that is ideal to bring kids to help. Nolan and Delaney had a blast!

My students volunteering at Neighborhood House

At school, I took my students to Neighborhood House in two groups. We plan to go back twice every trimester, developing a partnership that lasts. Not just a one-time food drive, but regularly helping with our time. I made a video with my students and we presented it to the other K-5 students at school. My students also had a blast!

If it is such a blast to help others (I think it is too), then why don't Christians do it more often? Why do we always make excuses NOT to help others?

I need to think differently. My faith must lead to action. These actions of ours are done as a response to the message of Jesus. He is the source of love. He saved us and we ought to respond with loving others as well.

The Real Reason I Became A Teacher

I did not become a teacher to only teach math.
I did not become a teacher to only teach science.
I did not become a teacher to only teach reading.
I did not become a teacher to only teach grammar.
I did not become a teacher to only teach spelling, writing, social studies, or anything academic.

I did not become a teacher to only teach things that really don't matter.
I realized the real reason I became a teacher this week...

For two weeks my students worked on skits to show how certain types of people need help from non-profit organizations like Neighborhood House. I also brought my students to serve at Neighborhood House, and I plan to take them back each of the other trimesters this school year. I put a fun video together, showing how the kids served and their excitement for helping others.

It hit me when my students presented the video of them serving in chapel to the K-5 students in our school. I started crying in the middle of the video (thankfully it was pitch dark in our auditorium, so it was a special moment without my students catching me crying!). Being in chapel wasn't why I became a teacher. I never thought I would be teaching mostly white, upper-class, Christian kids in private school. But God called me to something better than I had planned. He humbled me by whipping me into shape in Ontario, then put me in this place, which is perfect for my gifts and how me made me. Knowing how crappy teaching can be if one is not well prepared, God prepared me so I wouldn't get a big head and think I was the best thing since sliced bread.

I became a teacher to be an example to kids.
I became a teacher to show them what it looks like for a man to love Jesus.
I became a teacher to spread excitement about loving others.
I became a teacher to serve.

Remembering Ontario...

In May of 2012, I doubted my future as a teacher. Asking for help to survive the last month teaching a horribly disrespectful group of students, I wrote an email to all of the other teachers at Ontario Middle School. In the email, I told them about how my Teacher Appreciation Week went and how it pretty much summed up my entire year teaching there. I had already talked to certain teachers in person, but I also wanted to get advice from as many other teachers as possible, since I was considering leaving the teaching profession because of how crappy that year of teaching was. Being verbally abused by my students was not something I wanted to continue. A teacher can only handle so much cussing from students, throwing objects, suspensions, selfish attitudes, and disrespect before I realize that I might be better suited for another job elsewhere.

This is a snippet of what I wrote in that email:

"We all received an email from [our assistant principal], in which he stated, 'I hope at some point this week you felt appreciated.' Well, that very day I was called 'racist' by one student, 'idiot' by another, 'you're fucking stupid' from another, 'gay' from another, hit by a pencil, almost hit by a calculator, and not to mention all the usual ways I get disrespected by adolescents. At one point in the week, I did feel appreciated: I received a goody bag with my name on it that had candies in it, in addition to a granola bar I got in my mailbox. I put both of them on my chair behind my desk ...and guess what... THEY WERE STOLEN BY MY STUDENTS!"

My co-workers provided me with very helpful feedback. Most of them told me exactly what I needed to hear, supported me when I was struggling, and encouraged me to continue teaching in the future.

I realized that I learned a TON that year. Looking back, I knew that time of my life was God opening my eyes and humbling me to all the crap that goes on in this world. I needed to see how such a shitty job was actually a realistic representation of the every day lives that some of those students I taught go through day after day. I know now that because I took teaching so personally and wanted to improve, God had been preparing me for something better in the future.

Giving up when the times are tough is not the attitude that Jesus portrays for us in His exemplary life. He showed us that when the going gets tough, that's when we are in the best position to cry out to God and ask Him to help us see the bigger picture.

When I look back on Ontario now, 2.5 years later, I now see more positives than I see negatives. Even though that job was one of the most painful experiences of my life, I think about Ontario now as a time of growth. We had a great time spending time with friends from church, serving others in the community, walking Nolan in the stroller around the town, spending time together as a family at home, and learning about how God prunes us when we don't expect to be pruned. 

In The News!

Jen and I were both in a recent article done by East PDX News, regarding the Glenfair Community Garden!

Check it out:

New Glenfair Garden grows both relationships...and crops

Glenfair Community Garden

We have been keeping busy this summer working on the Glenfair Community Garden across the street from us. We were very excited last year when we started it with the planning committee. This whole process has been very new to me and extremely educational. Now I am faced with another role that is unknown to me: Garden Coordinator. I was elected to be the one who manages the garden, gardeners, paperwork, and upkeep. I am excited about the role and am happy to volunteer my time to do it. However, since I don't really know what I'm getting myself into, I hope that I am not too overwhelmed with the responsibilities. So far, I'm pumped because I'm all organized and ready to sign people up!

If you are in the Glenfair/Glendoveer/148th MAX Stop neighborhood in East Portland and are interested in a FREE garden plot, then have them contact me or visit glenfaircommunitygarden.com and fill out an online application.

Here are a few slideshows to show you what we have been working on:

The Fence


Tilling, Digging, Spreading


Breaking Ground

DIY Fair!

Have you ever wanted to give a gift that is more meaningful than a giftcard? Did you ever want to give something more heartfelt than something you just picked up at the store? Well, you're in luck...the Do It Yourself Fair is tomorrow!

A woman from our church is organizing this event in order to promote gifts during the Christmas season that represent giving relationally. The purpose is to equip everyone (men, women, and children) by sharing ideas as well as learning and practicing new skills.

Jen and I will be running our own projects there. I will be showing people how to make their own juggling balls and attempting to teach them how to juggle. Jen will be making candy trains, tealight candle jars, and food gift baskets. There are many other awesome ideas to be learned there, such as making hats, terrariums, silk flowers, comics, magnets, pendants, wooden toys, printmaking, and much more!

The whole idea came from Advent Conspiracy: To spend less, give more, love all, and worship God fully. The main purpose is to save money and send the money saved overseas for people to have clean drinking water. Check out more about it here: adventconspiracy.com

Two great videos about it below...